FIR against Facebook, user for anti-Gita comments

Lucknow: A social activist from Lucknow has lodged an FIR against social networking site Facebook and one of its users for allegedly posting comments and spreading hatred against Hindu's holy scripture Bhagavad Gita.

Nutan Thakur has filed an FIR against Jalandhar resident CI Chumbar and the networking site under section 153 (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of communities and other grounds), 153 A (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration), 153 B (public nuisance), 290 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 504 (criminal intimidation) 506 and 66 A IT Act (using Information Technology for these purposes).

Confirming the news, Circle officer Alok Singh said, "The FIR has been registered at Gomti Nagar Police Station on a complaint lodged by Nutan Thakur under various sections of the IPC on Saturday."

In her FIR, Nutan alleged that the user calls himself the Editor-in-Chief of a Punjabi daily newspaper and he had asked people to burn the Bhagwad Gita on Facebook.

The journalist claimed the scripture made derogatory references to women, she said in the FIR.

In her complaint, Nutan alleged that the comments on Facebook were enough to provoke anger and trigger communal riots.

"Through the Facebook comments, the person has been asking the people to burn the holiest scripture of Hindus in public across nation. The comments have come at the backdrop of the protest following the proposed ban of Gita in Russia. The holy book facing the ban in Russia has already become a sensitive issue and such comments would just trigger more anger," Nutan said.

She said that the Facebook user has not only criticized the holy book but has also openly used obscene words and language for Lord Krishna and Lord Bramha.

She claimed the words and abuses were of such nature that they are wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot.

"Through abusive language, the person has been denting the image of the Hindu Gods. More so, the networking site also turned a blind eye and did not initiate any kind of action. The Facebook is equally responsible in the crime by encouraging such acts by not taking any action against the people involved in such mischieves," Nutan said.

Nutan recalled that her husband Amitabh Thakur had lodged the FIR against Facebook and others at Gomti Nagar police station for allegedly portraying Gandhi in a wrong manner through an online group 'I hate Gandhi'.